'Harry Potter' director will work his magic on new 'Doctor Who' movie
David Yates goes from one British franchise to another
Matt Smith, the current incarnation of "Doctor Who."
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After decades of false starts and drawn out development, a "Doctor Who" movie may finally be headed to the big screen. The BBC has brought in "Harry Potter" series helmer David Yates to develop a new incarnation of the character for a stand alone feature film.
Yates told Variety that he and Janet Tranter, head of BBC Worldwide Productions, are on the lookout for writers for the new project and will spend two to three years properly developing the material. Yates was quoted as saying, "It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into a bigger arena."
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Currently airing on BBC America, the "Doctor Who" TV series has become a profitable franchise since rebooting in 2005 under showrunner Russell T. Davies and current overseer Stephen Moffat. The series has focused on a time-traveling Time Lord (the good Doctor), an alien whose form continually changes over time. This originally allowed the series to run from 1963 to 1989 and for eleven different actors to play the character (including the current run).
While praising the efforts of Davies and Moffat, Yates says its important for the series to start from "scratch" in a movie incarnation.
Yates noted, "We want a British sensibility, but having said that, Steve Kloves wrote the Potter films and captured that British sensibility perfectly so we are looking at American writers too."
A new version of the series likely means the current Doctor, Matt Smith, won't make the transition, but who will carry the mantle forward is still a question mark. Also unclear is whether the BBC will fund the picture entirely or partner with either a Hollywood studio or financing company for an appropriate event level budget.
With the film a number of years away from production, it also means the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" helmer could direct another project before "Doctor Who."
Who would you like to see play "Doctor Who" on the big screen? Share your thoughts below.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupDreyesbo
November 14, 2011 at 4:51PM EST Reply to CommentAs a fan of both Doctor Who and Harry Potter (although not necessarily of Yates' films), I really don't like the idea.
If Doctor Who was on a prolonged hiatus, like between 89-96, then okay.
But right now, the Doctor Who property is hot due to the efforts of RTD, Moffat, and everyone else up there in Cardiff. To make a movie discarding their contributions isn't a good move.
Staci Completely agree!
November 14, 2011 at 5:01PM ESTBernie Absolutely. You couldn't be more right.
November 14, 2011 at 5:13PM ESTNadine I agree as well.
November 14, 2011 at 5:15PM ESTAndy This is THE WORST idea.
November 14, 2011 at 5:35PM EST12th Doctor Really agree. I'm an American who just got into Doctor Who this summer and it is now one of my favorite shows ever.
November 14, 2011 at 6:37PM EST
November 15, 2011 at 11:49AM ESTTracy I totally agree! Its super popular because of what it is right now...a little campy, simple visual affects, etc. It makes it like a soap opera in a way, which are super addicting and kind of weirdly haunting because they are so surreal that they feel they can almost be real. Donno if that makes sense. Don't change it!
November 17, 2011 at 5:25PM ESTfritanga
November 14, 2011 at 4:59PM EST Reply to CommentOH THANK GOD they'll get rid of Smith before they do this film. He's awful. An added bonus: they'll get rid of the horrid Karen Gillan, who is the worst companion ever.
DarkElfa You're an idiot and the fact that you believe either of the things you wrote proves it.
November 14, 2011 at 6:05PM EST
November 15, 2011 at 11:51AM ESTI thought Rory would be a drag like Mickey, but then he went all Last Centurion and got kind of awesome.
Izzy Hand in your scarf, you're out of the club.
November 16, 2011 at 2:10PM ESTTracy I love Rory and Amy are so adorable together...and Matt Smith is awesome. You obviously aren't a fan of Doctor Who anyways.
November 17, 2011 at 5:28PM ESTPreston I don't care if it's too late to reply to your selfish comment, but you're an asshole.
May 20, 2012 at 7:30PM ESTMatt, Amy and Rory have baught out the best in Doctor Who and you obviously aren't a fan.
ripleyaeryn
November 14, 2011 at 5:01PM EST Reply to CommentI don't want a Doctor Who and directed by David Yates, the man that killed off magic of Harry Potter books.
BlueGarnet
November 14, 2011 at 5:05PM EST Reply to CommentIf David Yates thinks Steve Kloves did a good job adapting Harry Potter then Yates needs his head examined. And he needs to stay far, far away from DW.
Serena
November 14, 2011 at 5:05PM EST Reply to CommentShia LaBeouf, Zac Efron, Anton Yelchin, Ed Westwick, Penn Badgley, Adam Brody, Chace Crawford or Emile Hirsch as the Doctor
elaine m Seriously? Or are you trolling? Those are *horrible* choices!
November 14, 2011 at 6:33PM EST12th Doctor Have you ever seen doctor Who?!?!?!?!?!
November 14, 2011 at 6:39PM ESTMax Actually, if the Doctor could just keep getting killed and regenerating over the course of one movie, I'd like to see all of those guys play the Doctor. :)
November 14, 2011 at 6:58PM EST
November 15, 2011 at 11:52AM ESTMercedez
November 14, 2011 at 5:14PM EST Reply to CommentIF a Dr. Who movie is going to be made...bring back David Tennant.
Nadine Great idea, he was excellent as the Doctor.
November 14, 2011 at 5:16PM ESTSam Yes! That was just what I thought! He or Chris Eggleston were the best doctors!
November 14, 2011 at 5:21PM EST
November 15, 2011 at 11:53AM ESTMERCED Dunno... Tennant only had one facial expression: BUGGED OUT EYES @@ and he used that reaction for everything.
November 16, 2011 at 2:12PM ESTDoug Robertson
November 14, 2011 at 5:14PM EST Reply to CommentNOOOOOO! No no no no no! Don't make a Doctor Who movie! You'll ruin the wonderful. Just...no.
November 15, 2011 at 11:54AM ESTDoug Robertson
November 14, 2011 at 5:15PM EST Reply to CommentNOOOOOOOOO!!! No no no no no. Do not make a Doctor Who movie! You'll ruin the wonderful. Just...no. No.
Mercedez
November 14, 2011 at 5:15PM EST Reply to CommentIF a Dr. Who movie is going to be made...bring back David Tennant. I feel like he was the perfect Doctor.
Kriss
November 14, 2011 at 5:26PM EST Reply to CommentDavid Tennant of course!
Kriss
November 14, 2011 at 5:27PM EST Reply to CommentJohnny Depp would be BRILLIANT!!!
jinxed I like Johnny depp, but wouldn't as a Doctor
November 14, 2011 at 8:22PM ESTMRSWIFL Reply to comment...
November 15, 2011 at 4:13AM EST
November 15, 2011 at 11:55AM ESTBob
November 14, 2011 at 5:35PM EST Reply to CommentTwo words folks: "TIME WAR". The movie is half-way written.
November 15, 2011 at 11:56AM EST
November 14, 2011 at 5:35PM EST Reply to CommentMATT SMITH! Nothing more, nothing less
Martina
November 14, 2011 at 5:36PM EST Reply to Commentno, thanks... DW is brilliant as it is
JESilverstein
November 14, 2011 at 5:50PM EST Reply to CommentI have serious doubts about this idea. On the one hand, Who on the big screen could be awesome. But some of the choices that Yates made with the Potter material make me worry here. Yates' assertion that "its important for the series to start from 'scratch' in a movie incarnation" is a concern. While I understand that movies like this generally need to at least start with an origin story (who is this guy, where's he from, and so on), I can't help but wonder what he's going to do--rewrite the canon? There are four decades of foundational material that come with the Doctor. The best we can hope for is that Yates will follow J.J. Adams' lead. Adams, in relaunching the Star Trek franchise, respected the canon and still brought something fresh to the universe. Maybe we can hope that Yates will do the same for Doctor Who, but he'll have to tread carefully.
Kari
November 14, 2011 at 5:54PM EST Reply to CommentI've been watching DW since John Pertwee. I loved Tom Baker for years, until Matt Smith came along. He's now my favorite, though I must admit each actor that has brought life to the role has a piece of my heart. If they decide to make a movie, it's really got to have the same campy look and feel, and whomever is cast in the title role really must love DW and understand the character(s). I really hope they don't mess it up.
DarkElfa
November 14, 2011 at 6:08PM EST Reply to CommentIf he wanted to do a fresh guy in Dr Who, I'm fine, but only if he included the guys involved in the series now and only if he did an origin story.
Michael Harper
November 14, 2011 at 7:27PM EST Reply to CommentAs a longtime Whovian, this feels like a monumentally stupid idea to me. (And when I say "longtime", I mean back to Patrick Troughton...) I've seen both of the Peter Cushing movies, and the Paul McGann tv movie from the late Ninties, and the notion of someone doing a big-budget Doctor brings those to mind right off. The last thing we need is The Doctor getting rendered down to nothing for a big-screen version the way Night Shyamalan did The Last Airbender.
Foolkiller
November 14, 2011 at 7:29PM EST Reply to CommentI wouldn't mind a new, modern take on the DW origin story, dealing with the original doctor's decision to leave Galifrey and steal/get stolen by Sexy the Tardis. That being said, I think it would have to stay close to the revised continuity of the new series including, as an above poster said, the Time War.
mrbilliam The nice thing about the idea of an origin story is that it would allow them to cast a new actor without disrupting the story of the show: since the first doctor was older, you could just have a twenty-something version of that incarnation.
November 14, 2011 at 8:39PM ESTMulderism
November 14, 2011 at 8:27PM EST Reply to CommentMy choice would be Tennant as well but that will never happen.
How about a woman as the Doctor? Could a Time Lord change sex during regeneration?
Sarah That would be kind of awkward because he's also known as a charmer...ish lol Plus he has soooo many female fans and it would just be weird. Funny at the beginning though :)
November 14, 2011 at 9:12PM ESTmrbilliam
November 14, 2011 at 8:38PM EST Reply to CommentThis seems to be an example of the typical Hollywood "movies are always better than television" attitude. It seems really odd to do something like this for a show that is still on the air.
Lyssa
November 14, 2011 at 9:34PM EST Reply to CommentNope. This does not work. I do not David Yates laying his hands on Doctor Who. I am a major fan of the series, and I think this would be a complete disaster.
I don't think that David Yates could do the series justice--I would be willing to reconsider if Steven Moffat was writing the script. But even then, since it would probably be non-canon, you'd have to wonder at what they would do.
And if you're even going to TRY and make a movie, you have to bring back Tom Baker or Peter Davison. Make it like Time Crash, but don't make it like that 1993 Dimensions in Time fiasco.
My two cents on the matter.
dustin Sorry, but to me that all sounds like the wrong way to go. Drenched in the past. I think a fresh start is a brilliant way to break this character wide open to people who may have heard of the character, like me. I don't want to have to study before I see a movie.
November 14, 2011 at 10:18PM ESTDale
November 15, 2011 at 7:11AM EST Reply to CommentThey could do a "Benjamin Button" job on Tom Baker and make him young again. Of course, the job will probably go to Christian Bale, who will reinterpret the character as a slightly off-kilter brawler. :)
Mojo CoCo
November 15, 2011 at 11:49AM EST Reply to CommentI want the entire world to be able to love the Doctor as I do, but I don't like this idea.
I caught an eccleston ep. years ago and didn't think much of it, but then I started watching it halfway through Tennant's run and completely fell in love with it. Of course, I never really had enough interest in Eccleston to buy series one so I waited for it on the divr.. Smith is great, weird but charming and accessible. As much as I love Tennant, he'd likely be my choice to bring it mainstream stateside.
BTW,the cracked.com article title "How Dr. Who became my religion" is a great read .
Mojo CoCo
November 15, 2011 at 11:58AM EST Reply to CommentThis is why a Doctor Who movie will fail.
1) If written the way a Doctor Who movie should be, it will be exceedingly smart
well that's pretty much it. American's arent big on that and the piece seems to indicate this will be more of an American production than British and that's just sad.